Luke Skywalkeris the most recognizable name inStar Wars, serving as the protagonist of the iconic original trilogy and has remained relevant. After his perilous journey to help restore order and balance to The Force by defeating the Empire,he is considered one of the strongest characters in the franchise. Many comics and novels continue his journey, proving his strength with one incredible feat after the next.
However, as apowerful Jedi, Luke often encounters powerful Sith, battling and defeating many. The Sith are fascinating characters, and their drive for strength leads to fans contemplating who would win over each other. This list will find every Sith Lord Luke has fought and compare them to each other, debating who is the most powerful.This list will feature both the characters of the Canon and the Legendssince strength transcends the medium for these powerful Sith.
First Appearance: ‘Aftermath: Life Debt’ (2016)
DespiteThe Acolyte’s cancelation, there is still a lot of information about the witches, including the Acolytes of the Beyond. This group of cultists were active after the Battle of Yavin, with one of the leading members being Kiza. She followed the orders of a Sith who died long before her, slowly descending into madness. After she attacked Luke and he forced her to flee, they would meet again for their final duel on her ship.
Gaining a good sense of Kiza’s power is challenging, considering she mostly fought weaker soldiers and Luke. While she wasn’t initially a Sith, the spirit of Viceroy Exam Panshard possessed her, making her a Sith Lord. While definitely powerful, her quick loss to Luke doesn’t help her case on this list. Compared to every other Sith on this list,Kiza is by far the weakest, with few obvious feats, but fans may learn more in the future.
First Appearance: ‘Young Jedi Knights: Shadow Academy’ (1995)
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) was a former student of Luke’swho fell to the Dark Side after his attempted assassination at the hands of his master. However, this wasn’t the first time Luke’s student had turned to the Dark Side. Despite being a Legends character, Luke gave Brakiss a personalized test, which drove him to work under another fallen student of Luke’s. After an extensive history,Brakiss would meet his end in a suicide bombing out of revengeagainst those who tricked and controlled him.
As Luke’s student, Brakiss was a trained and adept Force user. Despite knowing many Force tricks, he used them the best by enhancing his natural charisma and convincing his students to undergo severe training. This would create a powerful army of students, and he would use them to attack Luke’s academy. Even though he could control fire and was a skilled lightsaber wielder,Luke outclassed him in each of their battles, proving he was much weaker than the Jedi.
First Appearance: ‘Star Wars #35’ (2020)
The Sith are a complicated bunch, with other comics and novels introducing so many new faces being introduced every year. One of the most recent additions is Gol, who first appeared as an unnamed Sith in 2020. It wasn’t until 2024 that fans finally learned his name from a reference book. Fans don’t know much about this mysterious Sith besides his appearance and some personal facts, creating a character that needs to return.
Bleeding is a technique done by the Sith through pouring rage into their kyber crystal. While Luke was training, Doctor Cuata asked him to heal Gol’s crystal. This resulted in Luke fighting the Sith in a vision, providing an intense duel. While the fight was short, it showcased Gol’s strength, which wason par with an early Luke Skywalker. His strength is further highlighted by his ability to keep a youthful complexion despite his decaying body.
First Appearance: ‘Star Wars (1977) #56’ (1981)
Initially used as a one-off double agent of Darth Vader, Lumiya would return decades later in the 2006 novelBetrayal.Lumiya is a fascinating characterwho worked as Vader’s shadow hand and Palpatine’s assassin. However, after their defeat, she would hold a grudge against Luke. After becoming the Dark Lady of the Sith, she completes her training and manipulates Luke’s student, Jacen Solo, to the dark side of the Force.
While Luke did kill her, it was after she had already won by clouding his student’s judgment and giving herself up to die. Even though she wasn’t stronger than Luke, she did possess vast amounts of strength in all respects. Training at the elite Imperial Military Academy, she gainedimpressive combat talents, became an ace pilot, and mastered her assassination techniques. Lumiya excelled at mind tricks and Force telekinesis, which she would use tofight on even ground with Luke.
4Darth Caedus
First Appearance: ‘Heir to the Empire’ (1991)
Kylo Ren wasone of the only bright spotsof the sequel trilogy. However,much of Kylo’s story is similar to that of Jacen Solo, who, in Legends, was the son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Hating the idea of violence early in his life, his morals and philosophy would slowly change after experiencing death, torture, and the Dark Side. With a vision pushing him to work under Lumiya, he would never escape the influence of the Dark Side until his death at the hands of his sister.
Darth Caedus and Lumiya are roughly equal in power, but he barely wins this battle because his fights with Luke were much closer. Even though he died before reaching his full potential,Caedus showcased many mighty feats in lightsaber skills and The Force. He was very proficient in The Force from a young age, eventually becoming a Sith Lord. Defeating countless Jedi,Luke’s toughest fight was against Darth Caedus, considering the emotional turmoil.
3Darth Vader
First Appearance: ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’ (1977)
Many fans recognize Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) asone of thecinema’s greatest villains, posing a constant threat throughout the original trilogy. Born with no father, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) was the Chosen One, meant to destroy the Sith and bring balance to The Force. After Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) corrupted and brought him to the dark side, Anakin became Darth Vader and ruled the galaxy alongside the Emperor. However, eventually,Darth Vader would redeem himselfby killing himself and the Emperor, fulfilling the prophecy and restoring balance to The Force.
While they may have encountered each other a few more times in the comics and novels, Luke and Vader had two fights in the movies, one inStar Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Backand one inStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Despite Vader’s easy victory over Bespin, Luke defeats him after giving in to his emotions. Despite the loss, every fan knows Vader is one of the strongest characters inStar Wars. He has animpressive resume of defeated foes, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku, Emperor Palpatine, and Mace Windu. With the highest midi-chlorian count, Darth Vader has potent powers in The Force but is also a master duelist. He earned his intimidating reputation, as fans continuously witnessed him effortlessly dispatching enemies, putting him on par with Luke and one of the strongest Sith Lords.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
2Darth Krayt
First Appearance: ‘Star Wars #10’ (1999)
Training under Ki-Adi-Mundi,A’Sharad Hett was a Jedi Knight and general during the Clone Wars, where he would form a close friendship with Anakin Skywalker. Surviving Order 66, he returned to his homeworld of Tatooine but was quickly exiled by Obi-Wan Kenobi, thus becoming a bounty hunter. Descending into the Dark Side, he becomes Darth Krayt, leading a war against the Empire and the Galactic Order.
Darth Krayt didn’t just fight Luke; he also fought with him. The two temporarily ally to take downAbeloth, a Dark Force entity. Before this, they had a daring duel, with two of thestrongestStar Warscharactersbattling it out. With decades of training, including learning under Jedi masters and powerful Sith teaching, Darth Krayt is considered one of the strongest Sith Lords, with one character slightly beating him out.
1Darth Sidious
First Appearance: ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)
One of the only characters present during the entire saga, Darth Sidious is the ultimate villain ofStar Wars. After killing his master, Darth Plagueis, a character that would have appeared in the second season ofThe Acolyte, Palpatine starts his primary plan. From manipulating the Jedi, the Senate, and the Republic, he was the leader behind both sides of the war, which put him in a position to topple the Jedi and become the ruler of the galaxy. But even after his eventual defeat, Palpatine would rise to power again with the First Order in the sequel trilogy.
It should be no surprise that Sidious tops this list, even if it was a tough choice between him and Darth Krayt.George Lucasstates that Sidious is the strongest Sith, and it is easy to understand after fans have witnessed him constantly being a threat for decades. His agile and chaotic techniques make him an unpredictable opponent, and paired with his immense power of The Force, he hasbested characters like Yoda, Darth Maul, Savage Opress, and Mace Windu. Besides his physical power, Sidious is a master manipulator and tactician, controlling millions of individuals through his influence. It has always taken multiple powerful characters to take down Sidious, making him the strongest opponent Luke has fought and thestrongest Sith Lord in all ofStar Wars.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
After the Rebels are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.
